Apple is in advanced talks to open one store each in shopping malls in Pune and Bengaluru, and a second outlet in the National Capital Region (NCR) in Noida, The Economic Times reported.
“Apple will not be happy with just two stores in a market like India. Of course, there are plans to expand. It is a question of when, not if,” the report quoted an industry executive familiar with Apple's strategy as saying.
The US-based company opened the Mumbai store — Apple BKC — on April 18 last year, followed by the one in New Delhi — Apple Saket — two days later. According to the report, these two stores each generated revenue of ₹190-210 crore last fiscal year, with monthly average sales of ₹16-17 crore each since their opening.
Apple CEO Tim Cook was present during the launch. The presence of celebrities like AR Rahman, Madhuri Dixit, Raveena Tandon, and Mouni Roy added to the fanfare. Long queues of people were seen waiting to get their hands on their favourite Apple products. One man reportedly travelled from Ahmedabad to Mumbai to buy an iPhone in BKC. He told news agency ANI that he stood in line for 17 hours. Even after a year, huge footfalls are witnessed on weekends, and sales remain high despite any discounts.
Meanwhile, the company also plans to launch its premium mixed-reality headset in India soon.
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